Recent Stories
May 11, 2018
During the month of April, nearly 500 New Jersey residents in Newark, Camden, Perth Amboy, Plainfield, Trenton and Vineland benefited from nutrition lessons and health services at designated local corner stores—thanks to a joint effort between the New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids (NJPHK), The Food Trust, and local partners. The events were covered by various media outlets including NJTV and News12. In addition, freeholders, legislative staff andother local officials visited the sites to observe the importance of having heart healthy options embedded in the community. The Heart Smarts program is part of the New Jersey Healthy Corner Store Initiative and brings free nutrition lessons and free health screenings (blood pressure, BMI, stroke andheart disease assessments) right to community corner stores. As part of the program, residents also received up to $4 in Heart Bucks coupons that were redeemed for heart-healthy items in the stores, as well as other incentives […]
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May 3, 2018
May is here, and it’s time to celebrate National Physical Fitness and Sports Month! The President’s Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition encourages people of all ages to participate in regular physical activity for its excellent health benefits. Some of the many benefits of physical activity include; improving heart and bone health, lowering the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease and some types of cancer. Communities, health professionals, and families can work together to create opportunities for everyone to get more physical activity, and we’re doing so in New Jersey. Here at The New Jersey Partnership for Healthy Kids we’re using the month of May to raise awareness about the benefits of physical activity by encouraging our online community to participate in a #MoveInMay Photo and Video Contest on our social media pages! We want to see how you #MoveInMay – Here’s how you can get involved: 1. Get Outside…Get Active, and […]
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April 12, 2018
“Partnering for Health Equity” is this year’s national theme for the National Minority and Multicultural Health (OMMH) Month. National Minority Health Month is observed every year in April to highlight the health disparities that persist among racial and ethnic minority populations and the ways in which legislation, policies and programs can help advance health equity. The US Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health is encouraging “partnerships at the national, state, tribal and local levels to continue the work of reducing health disparities and advancing health equity. NJPHK’s Darrin Anderson recently partnered with NJ Department of Health and participated in a panel discussion entitled, “Healthy Communities Begin with Health Equity.” The event was held on Friday, April 6 at William Paterson University in Wayne, NJ. Panel participants also included Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Marco Navarro and NJ Health Initiative’s Diane Hagerman. Anderson provided examples of […]
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April 12, 2018
Healthy U combats childhood obesity through nutrition education, physical education and family involvement. The program partners the Horizon Foundation for New Jersey with the NJ YMCA State Alliance and its 37-member associations. Together, the grant funds three programs: The Healthy U YMCA Afterschool program, The Healthy U YMCA Early Childhood Education Program, and the Healthy U School-based Program. Healthy U uses the CATCH (Coordinated Approach to Child Health) curriculum to educate and support environments for healthy eating and increased physical activity. Although Healthy U is a program to help prevent obesity, it also leads to improved academic performance and reduced illness and behavior issues. Healthy U ensures that children and families are provided with environments that encourage positive behavior toward physical activity and healthy eating. Sue Cornell, Healthy U Director for the NJYMCA State Alliance, oversees the statewide program. “What’s different about Healthy U is the focus on changing behavior […]
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April 12, 2018
Despite raising the smoking age to 21 and banning tobacco purchases to those younger than 21, New Jersey still faces a predicament when it comes to tobacco use among children and teens. Tobacco companies are doing all they can to put tobacco into the mouths of kids. They now offer mini-cigars and cigarillos at lower prices—3 for $1.00—and flavored tobacco that especially appeals to younger taste buds. Compounding the problem, retailers promote tobacco with oversized and often flashy advertising. Too often, the stores and their ads are within walking distance of schools, enticing youths to try some gummy bear, cotton candy or chocolate tobacco products. “Research shows that advertising and promotion at the point of sale increase youth and adult tobacco use, normalize and exaggerate the popularity of tobacco use, trigger impulse purchases and discourage cessation attempts,” said Kim Burns, Southern Regional Coordinator for Tobacco Free for a […]
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April 12, 2018
This year marks the fifth anniversary of New Brunswick’s Ciclovia—an Open Streets initiative that closes the streets to cars and opens them to people, promoting healthy active living by experiencing New Brunswick’s vitality, livability and diversity in a safe place for people to exercise and play. The New Brunswick Ciclovia is known as a model Open Streets program in New Jersey. Ciclovia has grown each year adding participants, activities, vendors and entertainment, while also expanding the route and nearly quadrupling the number of annual Ciclovia events. This success has garnered curiosity and inquiries from organizations and municipalities across the state asking what it would take to bring Ciclovia to their respective cities and towns. As a result, New Brunswick is hosting a two-day Study Tour on April 21 and April 22. The Study Tour will answer those questions by providing an in-depth look through first-hand experiences for developing an Open […]
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April 12, 2018
In a number of communities across the state of New Jersey, residents are improving their health – right in their corner store. One example is Edward Logan Jr., a Camden resident who began participating in The Food Trust’s Heart Smarts program at his neighborhood store, Ferry Avenue Market. After attending eight monthly lessons and continuing to make healthy choices once the lesson series had ended, Edward – who had uncontrolled Type 2 diabetes –began taking control of his health. Since 2014, he’s lost 40 pounds, and his A1C levels (measurement of how much sure is attached to the blood’s hemoglobin protein) have decreased from 12.7% (significantly higher than normal levels of 5.7% or below) to 5.2%. The Heart Smarts program is part of the New Jersey Healthy Corner Store Initiative and brings free nutrition lessons and free health screenings (blood pressure, BMI, stroke and heart disease assessments) right […]
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April 12, 2018
Individuals ranging from farmers to state officials came together during two Farmers Markets Conferences on Monday, March 26 in West Windsor and Wednesday, April 4 at the Ironbound Early Learning Center in Newark. The goal was to provide information about the benefits and opportunities available for Jersey Farmers’ Markets. More than 50 representatives from farmers markets, as well as local farms and vendors, attended the West Windsor Conference. And, another 100-people attended Newark’s Urban Farmer’s Market Conference held at Ironbound Community Corporation. Ironbound Community Corporation Executive Director Joe Della Fave opened the conference stating, “We need more uplifting and less uprooting of people in our urban centers.” The Conferences were designed to advance the opportunities and address the barriers involved in cultivating a thriving farmers market. Conference segments included: a panel of local farmers, as well as discussion topics related to USDA/NJ SNAP/WIC eligibility, and tips and strategies to help […]
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March 9, 2018
Go Further with Food It’s Sunday, you’ve opened your refrigerator to check your food supply. After you determine what you need, you head out to the grocery store. Once you return from grocery shopping, you unpack your bags and start to cook your Sunday meal. But, have you ever considered preparing a weeks’ worth of meals in advance? That’s exactly what the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics is encouraging families across the nation to do as part of its “Go Further with Food” campaign during National Nutrition Month. “Preparing several meals on weekends can provide balanced meals that can easily be reheated throughout the week,” says registered dietitian nutritionist and Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Spokesperson Kristen Smith. “It’s also a great way to eat healthfully, save time during the week and reduce food waste.” Preparing your own food can be time consuming, but it is the healthiest way for you to monitor what […]
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March 9, 2018
You’ve got your college basketball brackets picked out, now it’s time to start watching the games! Beware, there are a LOT of games being played over the next few weeks, so indulging in the usual pizza and wings may leave you with a few extra pounds come April. Step up your game and get into the March Madness spirit, by choosing some delicious healthier options to serve as you watch the tournaments! We’ve highlighted 10 healthy March Madness recipes you can pass around, below. 1. Spiralized Potato Chips with Onion Dip A healthy easy and delicious alternative to traction fried potato chips, the homemade chips are sure to have your guests hoping for overtime. 2. Sea Salt & Lime Popcorn Lightly salted, zesty and bursting with lime flavor, this sea salt & lime popcorn is a must for the snack table! Pop some up for game day or for anytime […]
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